Korean Chicken Thighs with Gochujang Glaze
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My Korean chicken thighs are sticky, savory, sweet, and just a little spicy, with a gochujang-honey sauce that caramelizes in the oven and clings to every bite. They’re made with a handful of pantry ingredients and come together easily enough for any weeknight.
I could honestly talk about how good these Korean chicken thighs are until I’m blue in the face. But don’t take my word for it – here’s what one recipe tester had to say:
Hands down the best chicken recipe I can remember making. It brings the heat and sweet and made me think I was eating at a restaurant. This will be added to my normal dinner rotation.
~Jessie F.
My Korean chicken thighs are sticky, savory, sweet, and just a little spicy. They’re basically everything I want from an easy weeknight chicken recipe. The sauce caramelizes in the oven and clings to the chicken, creating deeply flavorful, lacquered edges while the thighs stay juicy and tender inside.
The flavor combination is what makes this recipe so good, and it comes down to balance. Gochujang brings warmth, depth, and a gentle fermented chili flavor, but on its own it can be intense, so honey softens it with sweetness and soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger round it out. Together they mellow into something savory, sweet, and complex that tastes as if it took much longer to make than it did. Boneless, skinless thighs are perfect here, since dark meat stays juicy and forgiving in the oven, so it won’t dry out the way chicken breasts can even as the sauce caramelizes around it.
I also love how simple it is. With a handful of pantry-friendly ingredients and minimal prep, it’s easy enough for busy nights but exciting enough that it never feels like a weeknight compromise. Finished with sesame seeds and green onions and served with rice and something fresh on the side, it’s a full dinner with very little effort.
Is this a traditional Korean chicken thigh recipe?
This chicken thigh recipe features Korean flavors, but it’s not a traditional recipe. To achieve the flavors characteristic of Korean cuisine, I use gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger. It’s a delicious combination.
What to serve with Korean chicken
Let’s make it a whole meal! Alongside your Korean gochujang chicken, here’s some other tasty sides sure to please the entire table:
- Ginger Rice or Cauliflower Rice
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Miso Tahini Butter
- Crispy Eggplant Fries
- Spicy Long Beans
- Asian Salad with sesame ginger dressing
How to store
How to store leftover Korean chicken thighs? Store any leftovers in a covered container in your fridge for 3-4 days.
Can I freeze Korean gochujang chicken? Absolutely! You can follow the recipe up to step 2, then pop the chicken in the freezer. Thaw the chicken before baking when you’re ready to eat it.
Korean Chicken Thighs with Gochujang Glaze
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons gochujang – Korean chili paste (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (use coco aminos for paleo)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Sesame seeds and sliced green onions (to serve)
Instructions
- In a medium-sized baking dish, mix the honey, gochujang, coco aminos, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic.3 tablespoons honey, 3 tablespoons gochujang – Korean chili paste, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Add the chicken thighs and mix them around in the marinade. Let the chicken marinate for 1-24 hours in your fridge.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the chicken from your fridge and let it come to room temperature while your oven preheats. Bake the chicken for 20 minutes. Turn your oven to broil and broil the chicken for another 5-10 minutes, until the chicken starts to darken.
- OPTIONAL STEP: For a thicker sauce, pour the sauce from the baking dish into a small frying pan and boil it rapidly for 3-4 minutes, until it thickens. Baste the chicken with the thickened sauce and broil it for a few minutes, until it turns dark red.
- Serve the chicken with sesame seeds and sliced green onions on top.Sesame seeds and sliced green onions
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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Does this recipe require salt or is 1 tbsp soy sauce enough?
I find that the soy sauce is salty enough for me.
I have made this over 5x now. My husband loves it!
I’m so happy to hear that!!